Alphabet Google has agreed to pay $ 118 million to settle a class action lawsuit for gender discrimination. The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by former female employees for allegedly being placed in lower-level jobs than equally qualified males, resulting in lower pay. They also accused the company of denying them promotions or transfers to other teams for better career advancement. In a statement, the law firms representing plaintiffs Kelly Ellis, Holly Pease, Kelli Wisuri and Heidi Lamar said the deal affects approximately 15,500 female employees with 236 jobs who have worked at Google in California since September 14, 2013.
As part of the agreement, an independent third-party expert will review leveling practices at the time of Google’s hiring, and an independent labor economist will review the company’s pay equity studies. Post-agreement work will be overseen by an outside observer over the next three years.